Central Maine News: May 18, 2015

These are some of the stories central Maine is talking about today.

A bill that has been sent to Gov. Paul LePage's desk aims to help law enforcement and parents identify young drivers with intermediate licenses. The bill in response to a car crash that killed a 15-year-old Bucksport resident. The 16-year-old who had been driving the car held an intermediate license so she wasn't allowed to have juvenile non-family members as passengers. Supporters say that will help law enforcement and parents determine whether a person is supposed to be driving with a passenger. (AP)

A bill that's moving forward in the Legislature would allow more people to take advantage of a program that helps graduates pay off their student loans. The bill would allow Maine residents who've graduated from out-of-state schools to qualify for the Educational Opportunity Tax Credit. It would also allow people to receive tax credits for graduate school payments. (AP)

Authorities are investigating who may have dug up a grave in the Maine town of Etna and why. The Penobscot County Sheriff's Department was contacted early Friday morning by the Pleasant Hill Cemetery sexton who discovered the dug-up grave site. Police found what look like pry marks on the vault. No jewelry or valuables were buried with the corpse. (AP)

Maine Republicans are proposing a budget for the next two years that stops short of Gov. Paul LePage's call for a massive tax overhaul. The Republicans say their proposal would save Mainers money by raising the highest tax bracket in the state to about $50,000 in taxable income. A single-filer earning about $20,000 in taxable income is currently in the highest bracket. LePage also wants a constitutional amendment that would prevent the state from collecting income tax beginning in 2020. House Republican Leader says the GOP plan is a "road map" toward eliminating income tax. (AP)

Maine lawmakers are considering changes to the state's policies regarding life-sustaining treatment for minors after a teenage mother sued the state last year to lift a do-not-resuscitate order imposed on her brain-damaged daughter over her objections. The bill would prevent the state from withholding life-sustaining treatment for a child in its custody unless the parent's rights have been officially terminated. Attorney General Janet Mills has raised several concerns about the proposal. She says that the termination process can be lengthy, which may delay a decision for a suffering child. (AP)